Pair jailed for alleged romp in Dubai taxi

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A Dubai court has sentenced an Irish man and British woman to three months in jail for an intimate tryst in the back of a taxi.

The sentence Thursday is the latest case of Westerners running afoul of the social codes in the United Arab Emirates, which maintains strict laws on sex-related issues although it often turns a blind eye.

Prosecutors accused the pair of removing some clothing and fondling each other in a cab in May. They denied the charges and accused the taxi driver of fabricating the story after a fare dispute.

The judge says the pair will be deported after serving their sentences, which they can appeal.

In 2008, a British couple received a three-month sentence after being charged with having sex on a Dubai beach.